Joseph Graham "Gray" Davis Jr. (born December 26, 1942) is an American attorney and former politician who served as the
37th governor of California from 1999 to 2003. In 2003, only a few months into his second term,
Davis was recalled and removed from office. He is the second state governor in U.S. history to have been recalled.
A member of the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
, Davis holds a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
in
history
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
from
Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
and a
Juris Doctor
The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law
and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...
from
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School (Columbia Law or CLS) is the law school of Columbia University, a private Ivy League university in New York City. Columbia Law is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious law schools in the world and has always ranked i ...
. He was awarded a
Bronze Star
The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone.
Wh ...
for his service as a
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
in the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. Prior to serving as governor, Davis was chief of staff to Governor
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald Brown Jr. (born April 7, 1938) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 34th and 39th governor of California from 1975 to 1983 and 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected Secretary of S ...
(1975–81), a
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature, the upper house being the California State Senate. The Assembly convenes, along with the State Senate, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento.
The A ...
man (1983–87),
California State Controller
The state controller of California is a constitutional office in the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of California. Thirty-two individuals have held the office of state controller since statehood. The incumbent is Betty Yee, a ...
(1987–95) and the
44th lieutenant governor of California (1995–99).
During his time as governor, Davis made education his top priority and California spent eight billion dollars more than was required under
Proposition 98 during his first term. In California, under Davis, standardized test scores increased for five straight years.
Davis signed the nation's first state law requiring automakers to limit auto emissions. Davis supported laws to ban
assault weapon
In the United States, ''assault weapon'' is a controversial term used to define firearms with specified characteristics. The definition varies among regulating jurisdictions, but usually includes semi-automatic firearms with a detachable magaz ...
s and is also credited with improving relations between California and
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
. Davis began his tenure as governor with strong approval ratings, but they declined as voters blamed him for the
California electricity crisis
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, the California budget crisis that followed the bursting of the
dot-com bubble
The dot-com bubble (dot-com boom, tech bubble, or the Internet bubble) was a stock market bubble in the late 1990s, a period of massive growth in the use and adoption of the Internet.
Between 1995 and its peak in March 2000, the Nasdaq Compo ...
, and the car tax.
On October 7, 2003, Davis was recalled. In the recall election, 55.4% of voters supported his removal. He was succeeded in office on November 17, 2003, by actor
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...
, who won the
recall replacement election. After being recalled, Davis worked as a lecturer at the
UCLA School of Public Affairs
The UCLA Meyer and Renee Luskin School of Public Affairs, commonly known as the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, is the public affairs/public service graduate school at the University of California, Los Angeles. The school consists of three ...
and as an attorney at Loeb & Loeb.
Early life, education, and military service
Davis was born in
the Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
,
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
the son of Doris (Meyer) Morell and Joseph Graham Davis. Davis was the oldest of five children: Three boys and two girls. Davis's father, an advertising manager at Time Inc. and an alcoholic, was the son of businessman
William Rhodes Davis William Rhodes Davis (February 10, 1889 – August 1, 1941) was a United States businessman whose oil interests involved him in furthering the strategic interests of Nazi Germany.
Early years
Davis was born in Montgomery, Alabama, on February 10, 1 ...
.
Davis's upper-middle-class family was led by his demanding mother,
[Chorneau, Tom. "Davis' career one of survival despite long odds." Associated Press State & Local Wire. Wednesday, September 10, 2003. Copyright 2003 Associated Press. Accessed on LexisNexis on August 11, 2007.] who gave him the nickname "Gray".
Davis moved to
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
with his family in 1954.
Davis graduated from a
North Hollywood
North Hollywood is a neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, located in the San Fernando Valley. The neighborhood contains the NoHo Arts District, the El Portal Theatre, several art galleries, and the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. The North ...
military academy
A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps. It normally provides education in a military environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned. ...
, the Harvard School for Boys (now part of
Harvard-Westlake School
Harvard-Westlake School is an independent, co-educational university preparatory day school consisting of two campuses located in Los Angeles, California, with approximately 1,600 students enrolled in grades seven through twelve. Its two predec ...
).
His diverse educational experiences at public, private and Catholic schools allowed him an opportunity to compare all three systems as a lawmaker.
Davis's strong academic accomplishments earned him acceptance to
Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
.
He played on the Stanford golf team with a two handicap.
After Davis entered
Stanford University
Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...
, his father left the family, forcing Davis to join the
ROTC
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces.
Overview
While ROTC graduate officers serve in all ...
to stay in school; his arrangement with ROTC included a promise to enter the Army after completing his education. In 1964, he graduated with distinction from Stanford, receiving a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
in
history
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
. He then returned to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
to attend
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School (Columbia Law or CLS) is the law school of Columbia University, a private Ivy League university in New York City. Columbia Law is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious law schools in the world and has always ranked i ...
, graduating with his
J.D. degree in 1967.
After completing law school in 1967, Davis entered active duty in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
, serving in the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
during its height until 1969.
Davis saw time on the battlefield during his time in Vietnam.
Davis returned home as a captain with a
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone.
Wh ...
for meritorious service. Friends who knew him at the time said Davis—like many war veterans—came back a changed man, interested in politics and more intense, according to the
Sacramento Bee
''The Sacramento Bee'' is a daily newspaper published in Sacramento, California, in the United States. Since its foundation in 1857, ''The Bee'' has become the largest newspaper in Sacramento, the fifth largest newspaper in California, and the 2 ...
.
He returned from Vietnam more "serious and directed."
Davis was surprised to discover that many of those serving in Vietnam were
Latinos
Hispanic and Latino Americans ( es, Estadounidenses hispanos y latinos; pt, Estadunidenses hispânicos e latinos) are Americans of Spanish and/or Latin American ancestry. More broadly, these demographics include all Americans who identify as ...
,
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
s and southern whites with very few from schools like Stanford and Columbia; Davis believed that the burden of the war should be felt equally and he resolved early on to go about changing America so that would change.
Davis is a life member of the
American Legion
The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militi ...
and the
Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), formally the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, is an organization of US war veterans, who, as military service members fought in wars, campaigns, and expeditions on foreign land, waters, or a ...
.
Early career
Davis volunteered for
John V. Tunney
John Varick Tunney (June 26, 1934 – January 12, 2018) was an American politician who served as a United States Senator and Representative from the state of California in the 1960s and 1970s.
He was the son of boxing champion Gene Tunney.
...
's campaign for the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
in 1970.
He started a statewide neighborhood crime watch program while serving as chairman of the California Council on Criminal Justice.
His initial political experience included working to help
Tom Bradley win election as Los Angeles's first black mayor in 1973. The historical significance of Bradley's victory further inspired Davis to pursue a career in politics.
Davis ran for
state treasurer
In the state governments of the United States, 48 of the 50 states have the executive position of treasurer. New York abolished the position in 1926; duties were transferred to New York State Comptroller. Texas abolished the position of Texas ...
in 1974 but lost when the more popular
Jesse Unruh
Jesse Marvin Unruh (, ; September 30, 1922 – August 4, 1987), also known as Big Daddy Unruh, was an American politician who served as speaker of the California State Assembly and as the California State Treasurer.
Early life and education
Born ...
filed to run on the deadline.
Davis served as executive secretary and chief of staff to Governor
Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown Jr. from 1975 to 1981. Davis was not as liberal as Brown, and some said he offset Brown's style by projecting a more intense, controlled personality.
Davis has stated that while Brown was campaigning for
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
in 1980, Davis ran the state in Brown's absence.
Davis served as the
Assemblyman from the 43rd district, representing parts of
Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is the ...
including
West Los Angeles
West Los Angeles is an area within the city of Los Angeles, California. The residential and commercial neighborhood is divided by the Interstate 405 freeway, and each side is sometimes treated as a distinct neighborhood, mapped differently by di ...
and
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. A notable and historic suburb of Greater Los Angeles, it is in a wealthy area immediately southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Bev ...
from 1983 to 1987. Davis championed a popular campaign to help find missing children by placing their pictures on milk cartons and grocery bags.
Davis's Republican opponent in the race, William Campbell, criticized Davis as "...the man special interests love most." Among other allegations raised by Campbell were disclosures that Davis had received campaign contributions from Eugene LaPietra, a candidate for the West Hollywood City Council who was convicted on federal pornography charges. LaPietra served as Davis’ finance chairman. Davis cut all ties with La Pietra following a ''Los Angeles Times'' report on his pornography convictions.
State Controller
In 1986, Davis ran against six other contenders in the race for
State Controller
A comptroller (pronounced either the same as ''controller'' or as ) is a management-level position responsible for supervising the quality of accountancy, accounting and financial reporting of an organization. A financial comptroller is a senior- ...
; several of those candidates, including Democrat
John Garamendi
John Raymond Garamendi (; born January 24, 1945) is an American businessman, politician, and member of the Democratic Party who has represented areas of Northern California between San Francisco and Sacramento, including the cities of Fairfield ...
and Republican
Bill Campbell, were arguably better known at the time.
Davis won the election and served as State Controller for eight years until 1995. As California's chief fiscal officer, he saved taxpayers more than half a billion dollars by cracking down on Medi-Cal fraud, rooting out government waste and inefficiency and exposing the misuse of public funds.
He was the first controller to withhold paychecks from all state elected officials, including himself, until the governor and the Legislature passed an overdue budget. He also found and returned more than $1.8 billion in unclaimed property to California citizens, including forgotten bank accounts, insurance settlements and stocks.
1992 U.S. Senate campaign
Davis ran against
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
mayor
Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein ( ; born Dianne Emiel Goldman; June 22, 1933) is an American politician who serves as the senior United States senator from California, a seat she has held since 1992. A member of the Democratic Party, she was ...
for the Democratic nomination for the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
in the 1992 special election to fill the Senate seat vacated by
Pete Wilson
Peter Barton Wilson (born August 23, 1933) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 36th governor of California from 1991 to 1999. A member of the Republican Party, he also served as a United States senator from California bet ...
who was elected
Governor of California
The governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard.
Established in the Constitution of California, the g ...
in 1990. The race is often cited as an example of Davis's history of negative campaign tactics.
[The Race for Lieutenant Governor: Democrat Gray Davis and Republican Cathie Wright vie to serve a heartbeat away](_blank)
by Borland, John. The California Journal. Copyright California Voter Foundation 1994. Retrieved September 7, 2007. The Davis campaign featured an ad that compared Feinstein to the incarcerated hotelier
Leona Helmsley
Leona Roberts Helmsley (July 4, 1920 – August 20, 2007) was an American businesswoman. Her flamboyant personality and reputation for tyrannical behavior earned her the nickname Queen of Mean.
After allegations of non-payment were made by co ...
.
[Chorneau, Tom. “Gray Davis’ downfall rooted in his personality and political style.” The Associated Press State & Local Wire. October 9, 2003. Copyrighted 2003 Associated Press. Accessed on LexisNexis August 10, 2007] Some experts consider that ad to be the most negative in state history.
[Chorneau, Tom. “Feinstein takes on role as Davis’ chief defender.” Associated Press State & Local Wire. September 3, 2003. Copyright 2003 Associated Press. Accessed on LexisNexis on August 11, 2007.] The ad backfired with Davis losing to Feinstein by a significant margin for the nomination although this loss did not stop Davis from using negative campaign ads in the future, including in his race for lieutenant governor.
Davis blamed his campaign managers for the defeat and vowed not to let major decisions in future campaigns be decided by his campaign staff.
In 2003, when Feinstein urged voters to vote no during the recall election, she was constantly reminded through questions, video and the media about the 1992 primary.
Lieutenant Governor of California
![Lt](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Lt._Gray_Davis.jpg)
Many Democrats came to believe that Davis's political career was over after his defeat in his run for the Senate, but Davis created a new campaign team. He won a landslide victory in his race for
lieutenant governor
A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...
in
1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which Sinking of the MS Estonia, sank in ...
, receiving more votes than any other Democratic candidate in America.
Davis ran as a moderate candidate against Republican Cathie Wright. Davis used ads to depict Wright as a Republican who was too conservative for California.
Davis had a large advantage in campaign funds.
As lieutenant governor until 1999, Gray Davis focused on efforts on the California economy and worked to encourage new industries to locate and expand in the state.
He also worked to keep college education affordable for California's middle-class families and oversaw the largest student-fee reduction in California history.
As the state's second-highest officeholder, he served as President of the State Senate, Chair of the Commission for Economic Development, Chair of the State Lands Commission, Regent of the
University of California
The University of California (UC) is a public land-grant research university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, ...
and Trustee of the
California State University
The California State University (Cal State or CSU) is a public university system in California. With 23 campuses and eight off-campus centers enrolling 485,550 students with 55,909 faculty and staff, CSU is the largest four-year public univers ...
.
Governor of California
1998 gubernatorial campaign
In the June primary election, Davis surprised political observers by handily defeating two better funded Democratic opponents: multimillionaire airline executive
Al Checchi
Alfred Attilio Checchi (born June 6, 1948) is an American businessman who was a candidate for Governor of California in the 1998 gubernatorial election, losing to fellow Democrat Gray Davis in the June 1998 primary. Checchi finished in second p ...
and Congresswoman
Jane Harman
Jane Margaret Lakes Harman (born June 28, 1945) is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1993 to 1999, and from 2001 to 2011; she is a member of the Democratic Party. Harman was the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee ...
, wife of multimillionaire
Sidney Harman
Sidney Harman (August 4, 1918 – April 12, 2011) was a Canadian-born American engineer and businessman active in education, government, industry, and publishing. He was the Chairman Emeritus of Harman International Industries, Inc. A co-fou ...
.
[California Governor's Race Gets Tougher: Open primary makes it the most unpredictable contest in the nation](_blank)
by Schneider, Bill. CNN.com. Copyright © 1998 AllPolitics. March 3, 1998. Retrieved September 7, 2007. Davis's campaign slogan during the primary was "Experience Money Can't Buy." Early primary polls showed Davis in third for the Democratic nomination.
Davis surprised many political insiders with his landslide come-from-behind victory.
[Chorneau, Tom. “Davis campaign to run outside recall circus.” Associated Press State & Local Wire. Tuesday, August 12, 2003. Copyright 2003 Associated Press. Accessed on LexisNexis on August 11, 2007.] Davis even finished ahead of the unopposed Republican nominee in California's first
blanket
A blanket is a swath of soft cloth large enough either to cover or to enfold most of the user's body and thick enough to keep the body warm by trapping radiant body heat that otherwise would be lost through convection.
Etymology
The term ...
gubernatorial primary.
Davis won the 1998 general election for governor with 57.9% of the vote, defeating Republican
Dan Lungren
Daniel Edward Lungren (born September 22, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the U.S. representative for from 2005 to 2013. A member of the Republican Party, during his tenure, the district covered most of Sacramento Count ...
who had 38.4%. Davis aimed to portray himself as a moderate centrist Democrat and to label Lungren a Republican too conservative for California and out of touch with its views on issues like guns and abortion.
[In Key State of California, Democrats Bask in Victories](_blank)
by Booth, William & Sanchez, Rene. The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
. Wednesday, November 4, 1998; Page A29. Retrieved September 7, 2007. After his victory, Davis declared that he would work to end the "divisive politics" of his predecessor
Pete Wilson
Peter Barton Wilson (born August 23, 1933) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 36th governor of California from 1991 to 1999. A member of the Republican Party, he also served as a United States senator from California bet ...
.
In his campaign, Davis emphasized the need to improve California's public schools, which voters had cited as their top concern in this election.
First term
Popular start and education
In 1998, Davis was elected the Golden State's first Democratic governor in 16 years. ''The San Jose Mercury News'' called him "perhaps the best-trained governor-in-waiting California has ever produced."
In March 1999, Davis enjoyed a 58% approval rating and just 12% disapproval. His numbers peaked in February 2000 with 62% approval and 20% disapproval, coinciding with the peak of the
dot-com boom
The dot-com bubble (dot-com boom, tech bubble, or the Internet bubble) was a stock market bubble in the late 1990s, a period of massive growth in the use and adoption of the Internet.
Between 1995 and its peak in March 2000, the Nasdaq Compos ...
in California.
Davis held his strong poll numbers into January 2001.
Davis's first official act as governor was to call a special session of the state legislature to address his plan for all California children to be able to read by age 9.
![Gray Davis Bio](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ee/Gray_Davis_Bio.gif)
Davis used California's growing budget surplus to increase education spending. He signed legislation that provided for a new statewide accountability program and for the Academic Performance Index and supported the high school exit exam.
He signed legislation that authorized the largest expansion of the Cal Grant program.
Under the Davis administration, California began recognizing students for outstanding academic achievement in math and sciences on the new
Golden State Exams The Golden State Exams (GSEs) were a family of exams that were administered to qualifying high achieving students in California during the mid 1980s through the early 2000s. The GSEs were designed based on California's curriculum framework. They we ...
. Davis's Governors Scholarship program provided $1,000 scholarships to those students who scored in the top 1% in two subject areas on the state's annual statewide standardized test.
![Gdavis](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Gdavis.jpg)
Davis signed into law legislation that began the Eligibility in the Local Context (ELC) program that guaranteed admission to a
University of California
The University of California (UC) is a public land-grant research university system in the U.S. state of California. The system is composed of the campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, ...
institution to students that finished in the top 4% of their high school class.
[Davis Firsts](_blank)
. Retrieved August 2007. Public schools received $8 billion over the minimum required by
Proposition 98 during Davis's first term. Davis increased spending on recruiting more and better-qualified teachers. He campaigned to lower the approval threshold for local school bonds from two-thirds to 55 percent in a statewide proposition that passed. Davis earmarked $3 billion over four years for new textbooks and, between 1999 and 2004, increased state per-pupil spending from $5,756 to $6,922.
[Energy crisis leaves Davis record in dark](_blank)
by Lucas, Greg. The San Francisco Chronicle
The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The pa ...
. October 13, 2002. News, pg A1. The Chronicle Publishing Company 2002. Retrieved July 23, 2007.
In 2001, Gov. Gray Davis signed Senate Bill 19, which establishes nutritional standards for food at elementary schools and bans the sale of carbonated beverages in elementary and middle schools.
[San Diego conference tackles child obesity epidemic](_blank)
by Yang, Sarah. January 2, 2003. Media Relations. University of California Berkeley Press Release. Copyright 2002 UC Regents.
Another early act of Davis's was the reversal of his predecessor Republican Governor Pete Wilson's alteration of California's eight-hour overtime pay rule for wage earners.
Signing SB 400 into law
In 1999, the
CalPERS
The California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) is an agency in the California executive branch that "manages pension and health benefits for more than 1.5 million California public employees, retirees, and their families".CalPERSFac ...
board proposed a benefits expansion that would allow public employees to retire at age 55 and collect more than half their highest salary for life(pension spiking) . CalPERS predicted the benefits would require no increase in the State's contributions by projecting an average annual return of 8.25% over the next decade. When Board member Phil Angelides' aide questioned whether the stock market could grow that long, Board Chairman William Crist, a former union president, replied that they "could make all sorts of different assumptions and make predictions, but that's really more than I think we can expect our staff to do." CalPERS' chief actuary, objected, finding that it would be "fairly catastrophic" if the fund only grew at 4.4%. The benefits expansion bill, SB 400, passed with unanimous backing by California State Assembly Democrats and was signed into law by Governor Gray Davis. CalPERS then produced a video promoting the legislation with Chairman Crist promising greater benefits "without imposing any additional cost on the taxpayers" and the California State Employees Association president praising it as "the biggest thing since sliced bread". The next year the dot-com bubble burst, and CalPERS did not grow, instead losing value in the stock market downturn of 2002. In 2001–2002, CalPERS provided technical assistance for the Sarbanes-Oxley Act because it had sustained financial losses from the Enron and WorldCom bankruptcies. After the Great Recession, in 2009 CalPERS investments lost 24%, dropping $67 billion in value. Chairman Crist retired from the board and it was later revealed he had accepted more than $800,000 from a firm to ensure hundreds of millions of investment from CalPERS. This CalPERS mess was one of the factors that made Gray Davis get recalled. Governor Jerry Brown worked on trying to fix this retirement system for years, but CalPERS is still underfunded in 2022 and could end up costing state tax payers hundreds of billions in bailouts.
Domestic partnerships
Davis recognized the domestic partnerships registry in 1999 and, in 2001, gave same-sex partners a few of the rights enjoyed by opposite-sex spouses such as making health care decisions for an incapacitated partner, acting as a conservator and inheriting property.
He also signed a bill to prevent disqualification from a jury based on sexual orientation. Additionally, he signed a bill allowing employees to use family leave to care for a domestic partner, though he did not make good on a campaign promise to convene a task force on civil unions.
Guns and public safety
He signed laws in 1999 banning assault weapons by characteristic rather than brand name, as well as limiting handgun purchases to one a month, requiring
trigger lock
Gun safety is the study and practice of using, transporting, storing and disposing of firearms and ammunition, including the training of gun users, the design of weapons, and formal and informal regulation of gun production, distribution, and u ...
s with all sales of new firearms and reducing the sale of cheap handguns. Davis's ban included a ban on .50 caliber firearms and so-called "Saturday Night Specials."
In 2001, Davis signed a bill requiring gun buyers to pass a safety test.
Crime
A supporter of the death penalty and tougher sentencing laws, Davis blocked nearly all parole recommendations by the parole board.
Relations with Mexico
Early in 1999, Davis sought to improve relations with
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
. Davis believed that California under
Pete Wilson
Peter Barton Wilson (born August 23, 1933) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 36th governor of California from 1991 to 1999. A member of the Republican Party, he also served as a United States senator from California bet ...
had left millions of dollars of potential trade revenues "on the table."
Davis said he wanted California to have relations with Mexico that were more like
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
under then-Governor
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
.
Controversy over the California-Mexico border and
California Proposition 187
California Proposition 187 (also known as the ''Save Our State'' (SOS) initiative) was a 1994 ballot initiative to establish a state-run citizenship screening system and prohibit illegal immigrants from using non-emergency health care, public ed ...
had strained the relationship between the two parties. Davis met with Mexican President
Ernesto Zedillo
Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León (; born 27 December 1951) is a Mexican economist and politician. He was 61st president of Mexico from 1 December 1994 to 30 November 2000, as the last of the uninterrupted 71-year line of Mexican presidents from t ...
to improve relations with California's southern neighbor and major trading partner within Davis's first 30 days in office.
Davis later met with President
Vicente Fox
Vicente Fox Quesada (; born 2 July 1942) is a Mexican businessman and politician who served as the 62nd president of Mexico from 1 December 2000 to 30 November 2006. After campaigning as a Right-wing populism, right-wing populist, Fox was elec ...
and participated in his inauguration. The Governor met with Mexican presidents eight times. Under the Davis administration, California and
Baja California
Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...
signed a "Memorandum of Understanding" expanding cooperation in several policy areas.
Under Davis, Mexico became California's leading export market for the first time in history and California's trade with Mexico surpassed all of Mexico's trade with Latin America, Europe and Asia combined.
Because of the growth in the California economy, Davis opened and expanded trade offices around the world, including in Mexico. But most of these offices were eliminated in the 2003 California budget due to difficult fiscal times.
Health, environment, business, and transportation
Davis significantly expanded the number of low-income children with state-subsidized health coverage.
He signed laws to allow patients to get a
second opinion
A second opinion is an opinion on a matter disputed by two or more parties.
Law
In legal cases, a second opinion which contradicts the opinion of a jointly retained expert may be disregarded as not being impartial.
Consumer rights
In cas ...
if their
HMO
In the United States, a health maintenance organization (HMO) is a medical insurance group that provides health services for a fixed annual fee. It is an organization that provides or arranges managed care for health insurance, self-funded healt ...
denies treatment and, in limited cases, the right to sue.
Davis signed legislation that provided HMO patients a bill of rights, including help-line to resolve disputes and independent medical review of claims.
Under Davis, staff-to-patient ratios in nursing homes improved. However, Davis reneged on a campaign promise to expand low-cost healthcare to parents of needy children due to budget constraints.
Davis allowed non-disabled low-income people with
HIV
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...
to be treated under
Medi-Cal The California Medical Assistance Program (Medi-Cal or MediCal) is California's Medicaid program serving low-income individuals, including families, seniors, persons with disabilities, children in foster care, pregnant women, and childless adults wi ...
. He signed a law allowing people participating in needle exchange programs to be immune from criminal prosecution. He also increased state spending on AIDS prevention.
Under Governor Davis, California's anti-
tobacco
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
campaign became one of the largest and most effective in the nation.
R. J. Reynolds
Richard Joshua Reynolds (July 20, 1850 – July 29, 1918) was an American businessman and founder of the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.
The son of a tobacco farmer, he worked for his father and attended Emory & Henry College from 1868 to 1870 ...
and
Lorillard
Lorillard Tobacco Company was an American tobacco company that marketed cigarettes under the brand names Newport (cigarette), Newport, Maverick (cigarette), Maverick, Old Gold (cigarette), Old Gold, Kent (cigarette), Kent, True (cigarette), True, ...
Tobacco sued over California's antismoking campaign but their lawsuit was dismissed in July 2003. Davis also authorized a new hard-hitting anti-smoking ad that graphically depicts the damage caused by
secondhand smoke
Passive smoking is the inhalation of tobacco smoke, called secondhand smoke (SHS), or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), by persons other than the intended "active" smoker. It occurs when tobacco smoke enters an environment, causing its inhalat ...
.
In September 2002, Governor Davis signed bills to ensure age verification was obtained for
cigarettes
A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhaled via the oppo ...
and other tobacco products sold over the
Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
or through the mail, ensured that all state taxes are being fully paid on tobacco purchases and increased the penalty for possessing or purchasing untaxed cigarettes.
He also signed legislation to expand smoke-free zones around public buildings.
Davis approved legislation creating a telemarketing do-not-call list in 2003.
Under Davis, benefits for injured and unemployed workers increased. The minimum wage increased by $1 to $6.75.
Davis backed higher research and development tax credits. He pushed for elimination of the minimum franchise tax paid by new businesses during the first two years of operation.
While Davis's record is generally considered pro-environmental due to increases in spending for land acquisition, maintenance of the state's park system, signing legislation that attempts to cut greenhouse gas emissions by having automakers produce more efficient vehicles, cutting fees to state parks and opposing
offshore drilling
Offshore drilling is a mechanical process where a wellbore is drilled below the seabed. It is typically carried out in order to explore for and subsequently extract petroleum that lies in rock formations beneath the seabed. Most commonly, the te ...
, he was criticized for not backing tougher restrictions on timber companies as some environmentalists desired.
Under the Davis administration, California purchased for urban parks.
Davis signed the first state law in the US in July 2002 to require automakers to limit auto emissions. The law required the California Air Resources Board to obtain the "maximum feasible" cuts in greenhouse gases emitted by all non-commercial vehicles in 2009 and beyond. Automakers claimed the law would lead smaller and more expensive cars to be sold in California.
On March 25, 1999, Davis issued an
executive order
In the United States, an executive order is a directive by the president of the United States that manages operations of the federal government. The legal or constitutional basis for executive orders has multiple sources. Article Two of th ...
calling for the removal of
MTBE
Methyl ''tertiary''-butyl ether (MTBE), also known as methyl tert-butyl ether and ''tert''-butyl methyl ether, is an organic compound with a structural formula (CH3)3COCH3. MTBE is a volatile, flammable, and colorless liquid that is sparingly sol ...
(a toxic gasoline additive) from gasoline sold in the state. In 2001, in order for gas prices to remain reasonable in California while removing MTBE, Davis asked President
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
to order the EPA to grant California a waiver on the federal minimum oxygen requirement. Without a waiver, California would have to import a much larger amount of
ethanol
Ethanol (abbr. EtOH; also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound. It is an Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol with the chemical formula . Its formula can be also written as or (an ethyl ...
per year and gas prices were projected to increase drastically. Bush did not grant the waiver and in 2002, Davis issued an executive order reversing his earlier executive order.
Davis's actions when it came to regulating business suggested that Davis was a more moderate governor. He worked to kill a comprehensive bill opposed by banks and insurance companies to protect consumers' personal financial information. "What you saw in the campaign was what you got," said UC Berkeley professor Bruce Cain. "He's tried to negotiate a course between the different interest groups and keep Democrats on a more centrist, business-oriented track".
Davis approved $5.3 billion over five years for more than 150 transit and highway projects. One of those projects was construction on the new eastern section of the
Bay Bridge. During 1999 and 2000, California spent millions on onetime projects like buying new rail cars and track improvements.
California electricity crisis
Soon after taking office, Davis was able to fast-track the first power plant construction in twelve years in April 1999, although the plant did not come on line before the electricity crisis.
According to the subsequent
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is the United States federal agency that regulates the transmission and wholesale sale of electricity and natural gas in interstate commerce and regulates the transportation of oil by pipeline in ...
's investigation and report, numerous energy trading companies, many based in Texas, such as
Enron Corporation
Enron Corporation was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas. It was founded by Kenneth Lay in 1985 as a merger between Lay's Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth, both relatively small regional companies. B ...
, illegally restricted their supply to the point where the spikes in power usage would cause blackouts.
Rolling blackout
A rolling blackout, also referred to as rota or rotational load shedding, rota disconnection, feeder rotation, or a rotating outage, is an intentionally engineered electrical power shutdown in which electricity delivery is stopped for non-overla ...
s affecting 97,000 customers hit the San Francisco Bay area on June 14, 2000, and
San Diego Gas & Electric Company
San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) provides natural gas and electricity to San Diego County and southern Orange County in southwestern California, United States. It is owned by Sempra, a Fortune 500 energy services holding company based in San Die ...
filed a complaint alleging
market manipulation
In economics and finance, market manipulation is a type of market abuse where there is a deliberate attempt to interfere with the free and fair operation of the market; the most blatant of cases involve creating false or misleading appearances ...
by some energy producers in August 2000.
On December 7, 2000, suffering from low supply and idled power plants, the
California Independent System Operator
The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) is a non-profit Independent System Operator (ISO) serving California. It oversees the operation of California's bulk electric power system, transmission lines, and electricity market generated a ...
(CAISO), which manages the California power grid, declared the first statewide Stage 3 power alert, meaning power reserves were below 3 percent. Rolling blackouts were avoided when the state halted two large state and federal water pumps to conserve electricity.
![Windmill Field outside Palm Springs, California](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ca/Windmill_Field_outside_Palm_Springs%2C_California.jpg)
On January 17, 2001, Davis declared a state of emergency in response to the electricity crisis. Speculators, led by
Enron Corporation
Enron Corporation was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas. It was founded by Kenneth Lay in 1985 as a merger between Lay's Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth, both relatively small regional companies. B ...
, were collectively making large profits while the state teetered on the edge for weeks and finally suffered rolling blackouts on January 17 and 18.
Davis stepped in to buy power at highly unfavorable terms on the open market, since the California power companies were technically
bankrupt
Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debt ...
and had no buying power. California agreed to pay $43 billion for power over the next 20 years.
Newspaper publishers sued Davis to force him to make public the details of the energy deal.
[Governor's Race Gray Davis Energy crisis grew into ball and chain](_blank)
by Glendhill, Lynda. The San Francisco Chronicle. Sunday, February 17, 2002. Retrieved August 14, 2007.
During the electricity crisis, the Davis administration implemented a power conservation program that included television ads and financial incentives to reduce energy consumption. These efforts, the fear of rolling blackouts and the increased cost of electricity resulted in a 14.1% reduction in electricity usage from June 2000 to June 2001.
Gray Davis critics often charge that he did not respond properly to the crisis, while his defenders attribute the crisis solely to the
corporate accounting scandals and say that Davis did all he could. Some critics on the left, such as
Arianna Huffington
Arianna Stassinopoulos Huffington (née Ariadnē-Anna Stasinopoúlou, el, Αριάδνη-Άννα Στασινοπούλου ; born July 15, 1950) is a Greek-American author, syndicated columnist and businesswoman. She is a co-founder of ''Th ...
, alleged that Davis was lulled to inaction by
campaign contribution
Campaign finance, also known as election finance or political donations, refers to the funds raised to promote candidates, political parties, or policy initiatives and referendums. Political parties, charitable organizations, and political ac ...
s from energy producers. Some of Davis's energy advisers were formerly employed by the same energy speculators who made millions from the crisis. In addition, the Democratic-controlled legislature would sometimes push Davis to act decisively by taking over power plants which were known to have been gamed and place them back under control of the utilities. Some conservatives argued that Davis signed overpriced energy contracts, employed incompetent negotiators and refused to allow electricity prices to rise for residences statewide much as they had in San Diego, which they argue could have given Davis more leverage against the energy traders and encouraged more conservation. The electricity crisis is considered one of the major factors that led to Davis's recall.
![Gray Davis energy](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Gray_Davis_energy.jpg)
In a speech at
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
on August 19, 2003, Davis apologized for being slow to act during the energy crisis, but then forcefully attacked the
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
-based energy suppliers: "I inherited the energy deregulation scheme which put us all at the mercy of the big energy producers. We got no help from the Federal government. In fact, when I was fighting
Enron
Enron Corporation was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas. It was founded by Kenneth Lay in 1985 as a merger between Lay's Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth, both relatively small regional companies. ...
and the other energy companies, these same companies were sitting down with
Vice President
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...
Cheney to draft a national energy strategy."
When the Enron verdicts were rendered years later, convicting Enron and other companies of market manipulation, Davis responded with the following quote:
(Skilling's conviction was later overturned by the
United States Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
in its narrowing of the "honest services" statute.)
On November 13, 2003, shortly before leaving office, Davis officially brought the energy crisis to an end by issuing a proclamation ending the state of emergency he declared on January 17, 2001. The state of emergency allowed the state to buy electricity for the financially strapped utility companies. The emergency authority allowed Davis to order the
California Energy Commission
The California Energy Commission, formally the Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, is the primary energy policy and planning agency for California.
Created in 1974 and headquartered in Sacramento, the Commission'core respon ...
to streamline the application process for new power plants. During that time, California issued licenses to 38 new power plants, amounting to 14,365 megawatts of electricity production when completed.
In 2006, the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' published an article that credited Davis's signing of the long-term projects for preventing future blackouts and providing California a cheap supply of energy with the increasing costs of energy.
In March 2003, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's long-awaited report on the so-called "energy crisis" was released. That report substantially vindicated Davis, laying the blame for the energy disruption and raiding of California's treasury on deliberate tactics employed by some 25 energy trading companies, most of which were based in Texas. Of the latter, the most notable was
Enron
Enron Corporation was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas. It was founded by Kenneth Lay in 1985 as a merger between Lay's Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth, both relatively small regional companies. ...
, a number of whose principals were subsequently criminally prosecuted for their roles.
Budget crisis
During the economic boom years of the Davis administration, the California budget expanded to cover Davis's new programs. California's low national K-12 education rankings and Davis's campaign pledge to help education, along with the large majority that elected Davis to his first term and his early popularity, suggest that a majority of Californians supported increases in education spending during the early part of his first term when California was in budget surplus. Polls also showed that increased spending in education was supported by the California voters. Under the Davis administration, taxes were cut by over $5.1 billion that included a $3.5 billion cut in sales tax and a reduction in the vehicle licensing fees.
The cut in sales taxes was mandated due to a 1991 law that required sales taxes to be reduced a quarter percent when budget reserves exceed 4 percent of the state general fund for two straight fiscal years which they did in 1999 and 2000.
Davis also vetoed $5.1 billion in appropriations during that span.
![Davis signs 2000-2001 budget](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Davis_signs_2000-2001_budget.jpg)
While California's economy was expanding, California was producing record budget surpluses under Davis even after his tax cuts and new spending. According to the California Department of Finance, California, had a 10% surplus at the end of 1999 and California was projected to have a 4% surplus at the end fiscal year 2000.
These surplus monies were left in the treasury. Davis claimed to be cautious with state finances.
The
dot-com boom
The dot-com bubble (dot-com boom, tech bubble, or the Internet bubble) was a stock market bubble in the late 1990s, a period of massive growth in the use and adoption of the Internet.
Between 1995 and its peak in March 2000, the Nasdaq Compos ...
that had been fueling California's record tax revenues went bust. California was home to a large number of high tech firms and was largely dependent on state income taxes. State revenues fell while ongoing spending commitments created deficits. Restoring the vehicle licensing fees to pre tax cut levels to close the budget gap and stabilize the state's credit rating became unpopular.
The beginning shortfall for the 2002-2003 state budget was $23.6 billion. Davis announced that the 2003-2004 budget shortfall would be $34.6 billion while the Legislative Analyst projected a $21.1.
Relationship with legislature
Davis, a moderate, had some disagreements with the more liberal Democratic-controlled Legislature.
Democrat
John L. Burton
John Lowell Burton (born December 15, 1932) is an American politician and attorney. He served as Chairman of the California Democratic Party from April 2009 until May 2017. A professor of California Politics at San Francisco State University, h ...
, the leader of the
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature, the lower house being the California State Assembly. The State Senate convenes, along with the State Assembly, at the California State Capitol in Sacramento, Cal ...
, was Davis's chief antagonist.
Declining popularity
In May 2001, in the middle of the
California electricity crisis
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, his numbers declined to 42% approval and 49% disapproval. By December 2001, Davis's approval ratings spiked up to 51%. His numbers declined back to the May 2001 level and remained about the same over the next year. In April 2003, Davis had a 24% approval rating and 65% disapproval rating. The leading causes of Davis's steep decline in popularity (and eventual recall) were the
California electricity crisis
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, which involved a sharp increase in electricity rates and a series of blackouts in 2001, as well as voter discontent with an increase in state car registration taxes.
Davis had tried to maintain a middle-of-the-road approach, but ultimately alienated many of the state's liberals who viewed him as too conservative and many conservatives who viewed him as too liberal. Many were upset that in trying to balance the budget, Davis cut spending for schools while increasing spending for prisons. Some critics attributed the proposal to the
California Correctional Peace Officers Association
The California Correctional Peace Officers Association (CCPOA), founded in 1957 as the California Correctional Officers Association (CCOA), is the corrections officers' labor union in California. CCPOA made the largest contribution to the No on 5 ...
s donations to Davis's re-election campaign.
2002 gubernatorial campaign
Davis began fundraising for his 2002 reelection campaign early in his governorship. Davis raised $13.2 million in 1999 and $14.2 million in 2000, both unprecedented sums at the time so early in an elected term.
[Gladstone, Mark. "California Governor Raises Record Funding for Campaign." ]San Jose Mercury
''The Mercury News'' (formerly ''San Jose Mercury News'', often locally known as ''The Merc'') is a morning daily newspaper published in San Jose, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is published by the Bay Area News Group, a subsidiar ...
. February 2, 2001. Copyright 2001 News Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. Accessed from LexisNexus July 22, 2007. Davis's 1999 and 2000 contributions included contributions from Pacific Gas & Electric and Edison International.
Davis also received large contributions from labor groups, environmental groups and individuals.
Davis's fundraising efforts attracted much attention.
University of California Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant univ ...
's Institute of Government Studies claimed that Davis's fundraising skills were "second to none in the political arena" while Senator
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...
called Davis's 2001 goal of $26 million "disgraceful."
[Political Fundraising of Governor Gray Davis](_blank)
by Staff of Institute of Government Studies. University of California Berkeley. Retrieved August 13, 2007. One article in the San Francisco Chronicle claimed that Davis was raising $34,000 a day.
Although Davis's fundraising pace was criticized by his many detractors,
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...
would later collect contributions at a quicker rate during the early years of his governorship. Arnoldwatch.org, a project of the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights, which is a nonpartisan organization that is critical of both Democrats and Republicans, called Davis a "pay to play" politician and a "sellout".
During the 2002 election campaign, Davis took the unusual step of taking out campaign ads during the Republican
primaries
Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the c ...
against Los Angeles mayor
Richard Riordan
Richard Joseph Riordan (born May 1, 1930) is an American investment banker, businessman, lawyer, and former Republican politician who was the 39th Mayor of Los Angeles, from 1993 to 2001. Born in New York City and raised in New Rochelle, New Y ...
. Davis claimed that Riordan had attacked his record and that his campaign was defending his record. Polls showed that, as a moderate, Riordan would be a more formidable challenger in the general election than a conservative candidate. Polls even showed that Riordan would defeat Davis. Davis attacked Riordian with negative ads in the primary. The ads questioned Riordan's pro-choice stance by questioning Riordan's support of pro-life politicians and judges. The ads pointed out Riordan's position of wanting a moratorium on the death penalty as being to the left of Gray Davis, who strongly supported it.
Davis's negative ads against Riordan and a variety of other equally important factors explained on the 2002 election page, led to Riordan's defeat in the Republican primary by the more staunchly conservative candidate
Bill Simon. In the first 10 weeks of 2002, Davis spent $10 million on ads: $3 million on positive ads boasting of his record, $7 million on negative ads against Riordan.
Davis was re-elected in the November 2002 general election following a long and bitter campaign against Simon, marked by accusations of ethical lapses on both sides and widespread voter apathy. Simon was also hurt by a financial fraud scandal that tarnished Simon's reputation. Davis's campaign touted California's improving test scores, environmental protection, health insurance coverage for children and lower prescription drug costs for seniors. Davis's campaign featured several negative ads that highlighted Simon's financial fraud scandal.
[Turns up heat as Simon pares down: New ads roast GOP rival as he trims staff](_blank)
by Carla Marinucci
Carla Marinucci is an American journalist working as a political reporter for ''Politico''. Formerly of the ''San Francisco Chronicle'', she specializes in California state gubernatorial politics and national politics.
Education
Marinucci earne ...
, Lynda Gledhill, Chronicle Staff Writers. The San Francisco Chronicle. Friday, August 16, 2002. The 2002 gubernatorial race was the most expensive in California state history with over $100 million spent. Davis's campaign was better financed; Davis had over $26 million more in campaign reserves than Simon in August 2002.
Davis gained re-election with 47.4% of the vote to Simon's 42.4%. However, the Simon-Davis race led in the lowest turnout percentage in modern gubernatorial history, allowing a lower than normal number of signatures required for a recall. Davis won the election, but the majority of voters disliked Davis and did not approve of his job performance.
Second term
![Davis signs bill](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/Davis_signs_bill.jpg)
Davis's second term, which lasted only ten months, was dominated by the
recall election
A recall election (also called a recall referendum, recall petition or representative recall) is a procedure by which, in certain polities, voters can remove an elected official from office through a referendum before that official's term of offi ...
. He was widely criticized for responding to the budget crisis by reversing a decade of fee reductions on motor vehicles, a decision which his opponents repeatedly referenced. Not long after Davis signed a law allowing the Department of Motor Vehicles to grant driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants, he was challenged to a recall election. Davis had also signed legislation requiring employers to pay for medical insurance for workers and legislation granting domestic partners many of the same rights as married people, and vetoed legislation that would have given undocumented immigrants free tuition for community college.
[State Net California Journal. "From the Floor - Gray Davis' final acts." Copyright 2003 State Net(R). November 1, 2003, Saturday. Vol. 55, Iss. no. 11, Pg. 40. Accessed on LexisNexis August 10, 2007.] Some political observers saw these efforts as an attempt to reinforce support from Hispanics, labor union members and liberal Democrats.
Ultimately, Davis did not have as much support from Hispanics and union members in the recall election as he did in his 2002 re-election.
![BushCAGovs](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/BushCAGovs.jpg)
Davis was governor during the southern California fires of 2003, more commonly known as the
Cedar Fire
The Cedar Fire was a massive, highly-destructive wildfire, which burned of land in San Diego County, California, during October and November 2003. The fire's rapid growth was driven by the Santa Ana wind, causing the fire to spread at a rate o ...
. Davis declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County, San Diego County and Ventura County in October 2003 and deployed the National Guard to help with disaster relief. By mid-November, the greater South Los Angeles area had been declared a disaster area. This enabled federal funding to help repair flooding and weather-related damage, including the destruction of thousands of acres of vegetation. The Cedar Fire was the last major event during Davis's tenure as governor. Both Davis and governor-elect Schwarzenegger worked to help with disaster relief. Schwarzenegger went to
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, and met Vice President
Dick Cheney
Richard Bruce Cheney ( ; born January 30, 1941) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He is currently the oldest living former U ...
to lobby the federal government for more disaster relief funds.
Davis spent 1,778 days as governor and signed 5,132 bills out of 6,244, vetoing 1,112 bills.
Recall election
In July 2003, a sufficient number of citizen signatures were collected for a
recall election
A recall election (also called a recall referendum, recall petition or representative recall) is a procedure by which, in certain polities, voters can remove an elected official from office through a referendum before that official's term of offi ...
. The initial drive for the recall was fueled by funds from the personal fortune of
U.S. Rep.
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
Darrell Issa
Darrell Edward Issa ( ; born November 1, 1953) is an American businessman and politician who has served as the U.S. representative for California's 50th congressional district since 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served i ...
, a Republican who originally hoped to replace Davis himself. The 2003 California recall special election was the goal of the "Dump Davis" campaign and constituted the first gubernatorial recall in Californian history and only the second in U.S. history. Later,
the unsuccessful recall of
Scott Walker of
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
in 2012 would be the third and the
2021 California gubernatorial recall election
The 2021 California gubernatorial recall election was a special recall election, recall election that began in August 2021 and concluded on September 14, 2021, when California voters chose not to recall incumbent Democratic Party (United States), ...
of
Gavin Newsom
Gavin Christopher Newsom (born October 10, 1967) is an American politician and businessman who has been the 40th governor of California since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 49th lieutenant governor of California fr ...
would be the fourth in September 2021.
Early in the runup to the recall election, Davis called the recall election an "insult" to the eight million voters who had voted in the 2002 gubernatorial election. The Davis campaign tried to run against the recall Yes/No vote instead of against the candidates that were trying to replace him. Davis tried to depict the recall as a $66 million waste of money that could allow a candidate with a very small percentage of the vote to become Governor—potentially someone who was very liberal or conservative as there are no primaries in a recall election. Davis tried to run "outside the recall circus" and to make himself appear gubernatorial and hard at work for California, and who had made improvements to education and healthcare.
Early August polls showed that over 50% supported the recall.
In September 2003, Davis conceded that he had lost touch with the voters and added that he was holding numerous townhall meetings in an effort to address the problem.
[Davis concedes he had lost touch with voters](_blank)
by Salladay, Robert & Coile, Zachary. The San Francisco Chronicle. Thursday, September 18, 2003. Retrieved July 1, 2012. Poll numbers in September showed a 3% drop in the number of California voters who were planning to vote yes on the recall.
[Chorneau, Tom. “Campaign midpoint offers Davis last chance.” Associated Press State & Local Wire. Tuesday, September 9, 2003. Copyright 2003 Associated Press. Accessed on LexisNexis on August 11, 2007.] According to some analysts and campaign aides, Davis's town hall meetings and conversations with voters were softening his image.
Many political insiders remarked that Davis had made several comebacks and that he should not be counted out of the race despite poll numbers that showed over 50% planning to vote yes on the recall.
During the recall, Davis blamed some of the state's problems on his predecessor, Pete Wilson.
[Chorneau, Tom. "Davis defends job and says he'll stay in touch with the people." Associated Press State & Local Wire. Wednesday, September 3, 2003. Copyright 2003 Associated Press. Accessed on LexisNexis on August 11, 2007.] Davis claimed that he would have rather raised taxes on the upper tax brackets instead of restoring vehicle registration fees and college student tuition.
Davis called the recall a right-wing effort to rewrite history after having lost the election during the previous year.
In a 19-minute campaign address that was broadcast statewide, Davis called the recall effort a "right-wing power grab" by Republicans. He blamed Republicans in the legislature and in Washington for many of the state's problems, while accepting some responsibility for those problems.
On October 7, 2003, Davis was recalled. The recall was supported by 55.4% of voters. Republican
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...
was elected to replace Davis as governor. The
Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Gov ...
and
Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is the ...
were the only regions in California to vote "no" on the recall. Davis is the second governor in the history of the United States to have been recalled; the first was
Lynn Frazier
Lynn Joseph Frazier (December 21, 1874January 11, 1947) was an American educator and politician who served as the 12th Governor of North Dakota from 1917 until being recalled in 1921 and later served as a U.S. Senator from North Dakota from 192 ...
of
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...
in
1921
Events
January
* January 2
** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in First Brazilian Republic, Brazil.
** The Spanish lin ...
.
On the night of the recall, Davis conceded defeat and thanked California for having elected him in five statewide elections. Davis mentioned what he defined as the accomplishments of his administration such as improvements in education, environmental protection, and health insurance for children. Davis said he would help Schwarzenegger in the transition and he later urged his staff to do the same. His last day in office was November 17, 2003.
Life after politics
In December 2004, Davis announced that he was joining the law firm of Loeb & Loeb.
Davis has done several media interviews about his legacy. He appeared prominently in the documentary ''
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room''.
The debate about his legacy and role in the energy woes that proved to be his downfall remains. In a CNN interview on August 5, 2005, Davis expressed that he felt vindicated because of the revelation that Enron manipulated the California energy market and because of Schwarzenegger's then-low approval ratings. He also indicated that he had no interest in running for governor again, although he had been urged to run by some Democrats.
Davis was a guest lecturer at UCLA's School of Public Policy in 2006 alongside former Republican State Senator
Jim Brulte
James L. Brulte (born April 13, 1956) is an American politician and former chairman of the California Republican Party, having served from March 3, 2013 to February 24, 2019. Brulte formerly served as a Republican in the California State Senat ...
. He wrote an introduction for a journalist's book on the
Amber Alert
An Amber Alert (alternatively styled AMBER alert) or a child abduction emergency alert ( SAME code: CAE) is a message distributed by a child abduction alert system to ask the public for help in finding abducted children. The system originated i ...
system for missing children, a cause he championed.
On April 23, 2007, Davis was appointed to the Board of Directors of animation company
DiC Entertainment
DIC Entertainment Corporation (; also known as DIC Audiovisuel, DIC Enterprises, DIC Animation City, DIC Entertainment, L.P., and DIC Productions), branded as The Incredible World of DIC, was an international film and television production comp ...
as a non-executive.
On May 21, 2009, Davis was keynote speaker at the Columbia Law School graduation ceremony.
Public image
Davis's moderate record made it difficult for him to appeal to the core constituency of the Democratic Party. During the recall, Davis failed to gain the full support he needed from his more liberal Democratic base.
He had a reputation of being beholden to supporters yet unable to satisfy them.
Davis's leadership and compromise-building skills have also been questioned.
He was also hurt by redistricting in 2000 that made most districts safe for the incumbent party, limiting some legislators' need and willingness to compromise.
When Davis was inaugurated as governor of California, he said, "I'm a governor, not a judge". Davis vowed to uphold all of the laws of the state, even the ones with which he personally disagreed. Davis defended
Proposition 187
California Proposition 187 (also known as the ''Save Our State'' (SOS) initiative) was a 1994 ballot initiative to establish a state-run citizenship screening system and prohibit illegal immigrants from using non-emergency health care, public ed ...
initially, but when it was declared unconstitutional by the
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (in case citations, 9th Cir.) is the U.S. federal court of appeals that has appellate jurisdiction over the U.S. district courts in the following federal judicial districts:
* District o ...
, he did not appeal the decision.
Davis's personality was often described as aloof and his political style cautious and calculated instead of charismatic.
His personality forced him to depend more on political skills, such as fundraising, to win elections.
Davis's tendency to micromanage his administration made it difficult for people to present opposing views and even drove some out of service.
As Davis left office in 2003, the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' published an editorial discussing his legacy. The newspaper claimed that he lacked vision, allowed the legislature and its policies to define his tenure and had a "robotic governing style" that focused on fundraising instead of personal relationships. The ''Chronicle'' commented that Davis was often on the right side of the issues but that being on the right side of the issues alienated the electorate. Davis lacked charisma and seemed to be more passionate about winning campaigns than governing.
Davis never showed emotion to the voters. He spent much of his campaign time talking about his accomplishments instead of providing voters with a vision.
Personal life
Davis met his wife-to-be, Sharon Ryer, while on an airplane tending to official business in 1978. Davis and Ryer married in 1983, with
California Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of California is the highest and final court of appeals in the courts of the U.S. state of California. It is headquartered in San Francisco at the Earl Warren Building, but it regularly holds sessions in Los Angeles and Sacra ...
Justice
Rose Bird
Rose Elizabeth Bird (November 2, 1936 – December 4, 1999) was the 25th Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court. Her career was marked by firsts. She was the first female clerk of the Nevada Supreme Court, the first female deputy publi ...
officiating.
See also
*
*
References
External links
Gray Davis Digital Library(active web site, launched 2006)
*
*
Department of Energy article on Davis's energy conservation efforts*
Join California Gray Davis
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1942 births
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